January Nights
by itsnotjustanotp
Summary: An Everlark One Shot: Peeta comforts Katniss on a cold January night. Set before the epilogue and before the end of Mockingjay.


**A/N:** _This is my first fanfiction I've ever published so any kind of review that suggests improvement would be appreciated. I'm not completely new to this though, I've been reading fanfiction for 4-5 years now and I did used to write it for myself but I was to afraid to publish it. So I thought I'd give it ago with a one shot and if people like it maybe I'll think about a multi chapter fic in the future, but if you all hate it I'll stick to my edits on ig._

 _Also if there's any grammar mistakes I apologise, but please point them out to me. Same with spelling, although I'm from the UK and I know some words are spelt different in the US._

 **Disclaimer:** _Obviously I don't own The Hunger Games._

* * *

I've been watching Katniss sat on her porch from my kitchen window for two hours now. She's just staring into space, picking at her scars. Other than that she hasn't even moved since she sat there.

I think she was coming back from the woods because her boots are pretty muddy and her dark hair is far too matted to braid but she's stubbornly tried to anyway. However she's not wearing her fathers hunting jacket which is strange if she's been to the woods. But what worries me more is the fact that she's not wearing a jacket at all.

It's a January night so if she sits there much longer she's going to catch a cold. I know I should go outside, put an arm around her, comfort her or give her my jacket. But I can't. I'm afraid she'll scream at me or maybe she will get upset and that's the last thing I want.

But I still care about her and even if she rejects my help at least she'll know I'm still here and my hijacking hasn't taken me away completely. I want to show her I still love her, even though I know for her it was just for the cameras, to save her sister, but I need Katniss to know she's not alone.

So I grab my coat, slip on my boots making sure I double knot my laces, and head out the door over to Katniss.

She knows I'm coming judging by my heavy foot steps but as I walk over she doesn't even acknowledge me. I try to choose my words carefully but when they come out it sounds more like I'm lecturing her.

"Katniss, you're going to get a cold if you sit here much longer." I say more harshly than I intended to.

"I'm fine." She replies quickly, still not looking at me.

I sigh and sit down next to her, not too close though, I don't want to panic her.

"Look Katniss I understand you're hurt and don't want my help but I still care about you, no matter what the Capitol did to me. I still care." I say more gently this time.

She looks at me with her tear filled Seam grey eyes and I can tell she's trying not to cry in my presence.

"Everyone I ever cared about and loved were either killed or taken away by Snow." She says staring at a random point in the distance. "There's nothing left for me, Peeta. Snow took you from me and did some awful things to you and that was my fault! People died because of me! Including my own sister! You could have died because of me and the thought of that is just-" She says practically shouting at the end.

I can see her trying even harder to hold back her tears, but it doesn't work. They silently slide down her face, but I can't sit here without comforting her any longer.

I wrap my arms carefully around her and to my surprise she doesn't pull away, instead she shuffles closer and puts her head on my chest and sobs so hard it breaks my heart, so I hug her tighter. Her small fists grip my shirt and I rub comforting circles on her back.

We sit like this for what feels like hours and after a while her tears stop, so it's just me with Katniss lying on my chest, but I don't dare try to move her.

"I wish I could freeze this moment, right here, right now, and live in it forever." I say quietly.

When I say this Katniss lets go of me and looks at me in shock, and I notice how red and puffy her eyes are from crying.

"You remember that?" She says, her throat sounds rough and sore from all her sobbing.

"Every second of it." She stares into my eyes for a while and I get lost into her beautiful grey irises. Then without any kind of warning she kisses me full on the mouth.

It doesn't last more than a second because she stumbles back muttering her apologies and shakily stands up to run to her house. But I won't let her walk away from me again.

I grab her wrist, turn her round and kiss her passionately on the lips, she returns it too. Her arms wrap around my neck and I can tell this kiss is different. It's not televised, it's not a kiss goodbye or a kiss to bring me out of my hijacked state. This kiss feels real.

After we break away for air, Katniss smiles at me for the first time I've seen in months.

I smile back, and we both sit back down, her head resting on my shoulder and my arm around her waist.

I then feel her shudder against me and I rest my hand on hers, it's ice cold.

"Katniss you're freezing! Do you want to go inside?" I almost shout.

"Peeta, I'm fine honestly" She says smiling.

I can tell she's lying so I pull of my jacket and wrap it around her shoulders tightly and pick her up bridal style and walk over to my house.

"Peeta-" She starts.

"I will not let you freeze to death, Katniss." I firmly say.

She doesn't argue. When I reach the door I realise when I left I didn't lock it properly, but it doesn't matter because nobody else comes through Victors Village apart from Katniss, Haymitch and I, and I'm pretty certain I haven't seen Haymitch leave his house since he first went in.

I push the door open with my foot, still carrying Katniss, and I push it closed behind me. I set her down on the sofa and I go and kneel in front the fire place.

It doesn't take long for me to get a fire started and once I'm satisfied with the size of it I pat the floor next to me signalling for Katniss to come and sit down. She does and we resume our old position of her resting her head on my shoulder, and my arm around her fragile waist.

"I'm sorry," she whispers after about twenty minutes, I'm confused for a moment so I ask,

"What for?"

"Everything." She says, "I was the one crying on your shoulder when you're the one who's lost your home, your family, everyone you love. And it's my fault. I'm sorry for everything Peeta, I don't deserve you. Why are you sat here with me when there's thousands other pretty girls out there free of these scars? Girls that haven't taken innocent lives? Girls that don't wake up screaming from nightmares?" Tears start streaming down her face again and I wipe them away with my thumb.

"Because I love you, Katniss" I say taking her small, now warm, hands in mine, "I still love you. I always have, even after what Snow did to me, deep down I knew I still loved you. And I have those scars to. I've killed people to. I have moments where I grip the back of a chair to stop me going insane. We're both broken Katniss. But we'll mend each other."

She looks lost for words but then nervously says:

"Peeta?"

"Yes?" I reply.

"I'm sorry it took me so long to realise it but, I love you. I think I always have, but when you were taken by the Capitol I realised that I couldn't live without you. And when I told you I needed you that night in the quell, I meant it. Because I do need you. And I do love you."

As my reply I press my lips to hers and she does the same. This kiss is gentle but passionate. Slow but full of love.

When we finally break away after a good couple of minutes, I whisper:

"You love me. Real or not real?"

And she tells me, "Real."


End file.
